Fernando Martinez on his way out

It can be a cruel fall from the top for a one-time star prospect. The Mets&rsquo; Fernando Martinez is the latest to find that out.

It can be a cruel fall from the top for a one-time star prospect. The Mets’ Fernando Martinez is the latest to find that out.

Martinez, 23, was once the jewel of the Mets’ organization. Yesterday, according to ESPNNewYork, he was placed on waivers. His time as a Met is quite likely up.

The move was made to clear room on the 40-man roster for new signings Scott Hairston and Ronny Cedeno. Relief pitcher Danny Herrera, acquired from Milwaukee in the Francisco Rodriguez trade, was also placed on waivers.

Martinez first appeared on Baseball America’s top overall prospects list at No. 22 in 2007, then rose to No. 20 in 2008. His slow descent followed. He dropped to No. 30 in 2009, the same year he made his MLB?debut. He struggled through 29 games with a .176 batting average and just one home run in 91 at-bats.

He dropped to the No. 77 prospect in 2010 and fell off completely last season.

If Martinez clears waivers, the Mets could assign him to Triple-A Buffalo, but it’s likely that some team will take a chance on the former prospect.